Fuel prices continue to plateau, diesel averages $3.54/gal
At the start of December, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has seen prices on most diesel pumps continue to inch downward except in a few regions where prices increased a few cents, leading to a slight bump in the national average.
The U.S. on-highway diesel price average is up less than a cent this week to $3.540 per gallon, 55 cents cheaper than this time last year. Otherwise, prices have shifted very little since last week, at a rate of less than a cent up to 2 cents.
For diesel prices, costs increased on the East Coast and Gulf Coast. The East Coast’s diesel prices rose by less than a cent to $3.597, while the Gulf Coast’s rose 2 cents to $3.227 per gallon. For the rest of the country, prices fell 1 cent. In California, diesel prices dipped to $4.652, the West Coast without California fell to $3.739 per gallon, the West Coast overall reached $4.164, and the Rocky Mountain region slipped to $3.431.
Due to how these price changes are so minimal, the Gulf Coast is still the cheapest place for diesel fuel, while California is the most expensive.
This week, the AAA motor club‘s diesel average is very close to the EIA’s, only 1 cent less expensive at $3.536 per gallon. The motor club also found minimal changes in fuel prices between this week and the previous week, with last week’s average less than a cent more expensive at $3.530.
While diesel prices have held relatively steady week-to-week, they continue to be significantly less than this time last year, according to the AAA, which was 67 cents more expensive than current prices.
See also: Diesel prices jump up for the holidays, gas hovers above $3
Gas average sticks just above $3/gal
The EIA also noted that gas prices changed very little from last week, albeit at a more considerable margin than diesel costs. For the week of December 2, the U.S. regular gasoline price average is $3.034, a 1-cent drop from last week and 19 cents cheaper than this time last year. Otherwise, gas prices changed by about 1-5 cents nationwide.
For gasoline, average prices rose in the Midwest by 3 cents to $2.902. But out west, prices dropped 1 cent along the West Coast without California to $3.521 per gallon. California’s statewide average dipped 2 cents to $4.177, as did the West Coast overall’s prices, reaching $3.863. The East Coast’s average prices also fell by 2 cents and reached $2.989 per gallon. The Rocky Mountain region saw gas prices fall 4 cents to $2.787, while the Gulf Coast benefitted from the most significant price cut of 5 cents to reach $2.581. All told, this leaves the Gulf Coast as the cheapest location for gas and California as the most expensive.
The AAA generally concurred with the EIA’s estimation, with the motor club logging a gas price average of $3.047 per gallon this week. Last week’s gas average was $3.056, representing a small price change between November 25 and December 2. The difference between last year’s gas prices and current costs is smaller than diesel’s, with only a 20-cent difference between current gas costs and last year’s of $3.247 per gallon.
